This invention relates to pneumatic tires for automotive vehicles and especially to the road engaging tread portion of the tire. More particularly the invention relates to a tire tread configuration that permits the particular orientation of the various identical tires on a vehicle to be so selected as to provide an advantageous differential in cornering stiffness between the outside front and rear tires.
Certain vehicles (some station wagons, for example) have a tendency to yaw when subjected to quick lane changes at highway speeds. This tendency to yaw may be accentuated by weight distribution, suspension and tire characteristics, etc.
Experimentation has shown that yawing can be minimized by placing tires on the rear which have a larger cornering stiffness than the tires on the front.
One method of achieving this result is to underinflate the tires at the front or conversely to overinflate the tires at the rear. This technique, however, results in excessive wear and/or a decrease in riding comfort.
The tire tread configuration of the present invention provides, when the vehicle tires are properly oriented, increased cornering stiffness of the tires at the rear as compared with the tires at the front, and thus minimizes vehicle yaw.